About Sacred Heart Cathedral · Davenport, Iowa
Sacred Heart Cathedral is the mother church and seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of Davenport, located in the Cork Hill Historic District of East Davenport, Iowa. Founded in 1856 as St. Margaret's Church on land donated by Davenport founder Antoine LeClaire, it became the cathedral of the newly erected Diocese of Davenport in 1881 and was renamed Sacred Heart Cathedral upon its dedication on November 15, 1891 — making it the first cathedral in the United States dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Gothic Revival landmark, designed by Chicago architect James J. Egan and built on the English parish church model, dominates a bluff above downtown and remains an active, multicultural parish with a strong Vietnamese Catholic community, daily and Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, family faith formation, and outreach through the diocese.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Very Rev. Jason K. Crossen, VG
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Cathedral offers a rare combination: a 130-year-old National Register landmark with a vibrant, multi-generational parish life at the very heart of the Diocese of Davenport. Daily and Sunday Masses (including a thriving Vietnamese Mass at 11:00 a.m. with about 200 attendees and 490 registered Vietnamese households), daily Eucharistic Adoration, and a robust OCIA/RCIA process welcome those returning to the faith, those joining for the first time, and lifelong Catholics. Family Faith Formation for K–high school, youth events, a choir directed by Trevor Loes, a Health Ministry, and the legacy of a parish school — preserved through the All Saints Catholic School partnership — give families of every shape a real place to belong. Add a Cork Hill neighborhood setting, a hilltop spire visible across the Quad Cities, and the spiritual richness of being the Bishop's own church, and Sacred Heart is both a destination parish and a home parish.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Cathedral
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00–3:45 p.m. (before the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Mass)
- By appointment (contact the parish office)
Adoration times
- Sunday: 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Monday: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Mass at 8:00 a.m.)
- Wednesday: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Mass at 8:00 a.m.)
Parish History
Sacred Heart Cathedral traces its roots to 1856, when Antoine LeClaire donated land in East Davenport and financed the construction of St. Margaret's Church, named for his wife Marguerite and for St. Margaret of Scotland. On May 8, 1881, Pope Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Davenport and made St. Margaret's the cathedral. The original church was replaced by the present Gothic Revival building, designed by Chicago architect James J. Egan and dedicated on November 15, 1891 — the first cathedral in the United States dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The parish has been the mother church and seat of the bishop ever since, and four of its pastors/rectors have been elevated to the episcopate.
- St. Margaret's Church founded 1856 by Antoine LeClaire
- Diocese of Davenport erected May 8, 1881
- St. Margaret's chosen as cathedral; cornerstone of new cathedral laid April 27, 1890
- Cathedral dedicated November 15, 1891 by Bishop Henry Cosgrove
- Name change to Sacred Heart Cathedral approved by Pope Leo XIII on December 23, 1889
- Old St. Margaret's school time capsule recovered and opened at 2017 All-School Reunion
Architecture & Sacred Art
The cathedral is a Gothic Revival basilica-plan church with a 160-foot corner tower, built of Anamosa Limestone and rock-faced Bedford stone over a brick shell, on the English parish church model. Its vast stained glass windows — the Twelve Apostles in the side lancets, a richly symbolic rose window on the front, and a great apse window of Jesus appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque — were all chosen in color by Bishop Cosgrove. The interior is column-free, with extensive oak woodwork, hammer-beam ceiling, four sets of pews, the old high altar with Old Testament reliefs (Abel, Abraham and Isaac, Melchizedek), the Marian and St. Joseph side shrines (with statues added in 1902 of St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Anthony of Padua), and large bas-relief Stations of the Cross installed in 1892.
- Architect: James J. Egan of Chicago
- Style: Gothic Revival, basilica plan with corner tower
- Dimensions: 180 ft long; nave 65 ft wide; 75 ft to roof; 160 ft spire
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP #84001537, 1984)
- Stained glass colors chosen by Bishop Henry Cosgrove
- Rose window symbols: anchor, wheat, crown, keys, dove, cross-and-crown, chalice, harp
- Apse window: Jesus appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
- Relics of various saints in gold reliquaries flanking the reredos
Renovations & Restorations
Since 1891 the cathedral has undergone a series of major restorations to preserve its art and structure. The first electric lights replaced gas in 1895, and a thorough interior renovation in 1907 frescoed the walls, enlarged the choir loft, and added about 600 lights. A 1988–1990 project, funded by the Elizabeth Kahl Figge endowment, refurbished the 19th-century painting of St. Margaret of Scotland and other interior elements. Bishop Cosgrove's bishop's throne and canopied pulpit were removed in 1980, a new oak altar was acquired in 1981, and a multi-year capital campaign in the 2010s culminated in repairs to the 2016 tornado damage, replacement of the original iron cross with a 24-karat gold-leafed aluminum replica, installation of a new carillon, and the 2019 cleaning and repair of the stained glass windows, dedicated in memory of Msgr. Marvin Mottet.
- 1895: first electric lights in the sanctuary
- 1907: interior frescoing and choir loft enlargement
- 1980–81: bishop's throne and pulpit removed; new oak altar installed
- 1988–1990: Figge endowment renovation of interior and St. Margaret painting
- Summer 2017: tornado repairs, new gold-leaf cross, new carillon
- 2019: stained glass cleaning and repair in memory of Msgr. Marvin Mottet
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Sacred Heart's Family Faith Formation program — directed by Susan Stanforth, Director of Religious Education — is required for all K–High School public school and homeschool students, and strongly encouraged for Catholic school students in other grades. Children gather twice a month with their parents, the 'first catechists,' to grow in faith together. The parish also runs OCIA/OCIC (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and Children) with 'Come & See' inquiry events, sacramental preparation, and a youth formation program with service and social events for all public, homeschool, and Catholic-school youth.
- Family Faith Formation (K–HS) — twice monthly with parents
- OCIA/OCIC — 'Come & See' events, Inquiry, Catechumenate, Scrutinies
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion, Confirmation
- Youth Formation: service and social events for teens
- Contact: Susan Stanforth, [email protected], ext. 202
Music & Liturgy
Music at Sacred Heart is led by Colleen Darland, Director of Music & Liturgy, and Trevor Loes, Choir Director. The historic cathedral organ — purchased originally by Antoine LeClaire for St. Margaret's — was moved into the new cathedral at the 1891 dedication and is still in use. The choir supports the Vigil Mass, the Sunday 9:00 a.m. Mass, and major feasts; the live-stream of the Saturday Vigil Mass is subject to volunteer operator availability.
- Director of Music & Liturgy: Colleen Darland ([email protected])
- Choir Director: Trevor Loes ([email protected])
- Historic organ originally purchased by Antoine LeClaire
Vietnamese Catholic Community
Since Bishop William Franklin invited the local Vietnamese Catholic community to integrate into a city parish in 2000, Sacred Heart has been home to one of the most active Vietnamese Catholic communities in Iowa. On August 19, 2001, the community processed 16 blocks from Christ the King Chapel at St. Ambrose University to Sacred Heart Cathedral. About 490 Vietnamese households are registered, and 180–200 attend the weekly Vietnamese Mass on Sundays at 11:00 a.m., celebrated by Vietnamese-speaking priests from Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa. The community offers Vietnamese language classes after Mass, hosts the Legion of Mary, and gathers youth for song and dance. Larger crowds mark the Lunar New Year and the Solemnity of the Assumption, when the traditional ao dai is widely worn.
- Weekly Vietnamese Mass: Sundays 11:00 a.m.
- ~490 registered Vietnamese households; ~180–200 attend weekly
- Vietnamese language classes after Sunday Mass
- Legion of Mary, youth song and dance, Lunar New Year & Assumption celebrations
- Vietnamese-speaking priests from Divine Word College, Epworth, Iowa
- Receptionist: Lien Truong ([email protected])
Parish School — From 1859 to All Saints
Sacred Heart parish school was founded in 1859, with a third and most prominent school building designed by Arthur Ebeling and constructed in 1914 for $104,093.44. It was dedicated by Bishop James Davis on January 17, 1915, with a brick time capsule laid in the foundation. The school merged in the 1990s with St. Alphonsus into John Paul Academy, and in 2004 Sacred Heart, St. Alphonsus, and Holy Family consolidated into All Saints Catholic School. The 1914 Sacred Heart School building continued to host parish faith formation classes until it was demolished in the summer of 2017 to make way for the new parish hall, whose porte-cochere now displays the original 1856 bell from St. Margaret's.
- Parish school founded 1859
- Third school building erected 1914, architect Arthur Ebeling
- Time capsule brick (containing 3 newspapers and a scroll) recovered at 2017 All-School Reunion
- Merged with St. Alphonsus into John Paul Academy in 1990s (Mottet pastorate)
- Merged with Holy Family into All Saints Catholic School in 2004
- Old 1914 school building demolished summer 2017
Parish Staff & Getting Involved
The parish is served by a small but dedicated staff under Pastor Fr. Jason K. Crossen, with three permanent deacons, a faith formation director, a music/liturgy director, a choir director, a health ministry nurse, and office, bulletin, web, and Vietnamese-reception staff. The parish welcomes new members, returning Catholics, and those interested in learning more about becoming Catholic through its OCIA/OCIC program, and accepts volunteer support for live-streaming the Vigil Mass and other ministries.
- Pastor: Very Rev. Jason K. Crossen, VG — [email protected]
- Pastoral Associate: Deacon Dan Huber
- Deacons: John Jacobsen, Frank Agnoli
- Faith Formation: Susan Stanforth
- Music & Liturgy: Colleen Darland; Choir Director: Trevor Loes
- Health Ministry: Diane Gehrke (parish nurse)
- Office Manager/Bookkeeper: Carol Haines
- Bulletin: Jan Dolan; Website/Directory: Megan Cox
- Office Assistant: Julie Doan; Vietnamese Receptionist: Lien Truong
- Grand Hall Manager: Laurie Bribriesco
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Andrew Trevis1856-1861
First pastor of St. Margaret's; born in France, ordained 1850 at the urging of Bishop Loras of Dubuque.
- Rev. Henry Cosgrove1861-1884
Second pastor; later became second Bishop of Davenport (installed Sept. 14, 1884).
- Rev. Andrew Trevis1884-1889
Returned as pastor and Vicar General of the new Diocese of Davenport; resigned 1899.
- Rev. James Davis1889-1906
Irish-born; oversaw construction of the cathedral; later consecrated Coadjutor Bishop Nov. 30, 1904, and succeeded Cosgrove as third Bishop of Davenport in 1906.
- Rev. John (J.T.A.) Flannagan1907-1926
Rector who laid the 1914 school cornerstone time capsule.
- Msgr. Francis Leonard1926-1932
Rector.
- Msgr. William Shannahan1932-1937
Rector.
- Msgr. Martin Cone1937-1953
Rector.
- Msgr. Thomas Feeney1953-1968
Rector.
- Msgr. Ralph Thompson1968-1971
Rector.
- Msgr. Sebastian Menke1973-1986
Rector.
- Msgr. Marvin Mottet1986-2005
Rector; later memorialized by the 2019 stained-glass restoration.
- Rev. Robert Busher2005-2010
Rector.
- Msgr. Robert Gruss2010-2011
Named Bishop of Rapid City by Pope Benedict XVI on May 26, 2011.
- Rev. Richard (Rich) Adam2011-2021
Rector; opened the 1914 time capsule at the 2017 All-School Reunion; later reassigned as pastor of St. John Vianney / Our Lady of Lourdes, Bettendorf.
- Rev. Thomas J. Hennen2021-2025
Rector and Vicar General; named Bishop of Baker, Oregon, by Pope Leo XIV on July 10, 2025.
- Rev. Jason K. Crossen2025-present
Appointed rector and Vicar General of the Diocese of Davenport effective Sept. 1, 2025; ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2000.
